The Clone Wars series is a pivotal Star Wars show that explains what happens off-screen during the mainline Star Wars episodes. Because of this, the show had an excellent opportunity to give fans the moments that they always wanted to see in the movies. The show takes great advantage of both the format and the timing to create many memorable moments that rank high with other moments in the entire Star Wars franchise. Keep reading to find out which of these are the best in The Clone Wars series.

10 Pong Krell's Last Stand

Pong Krell
Warner Bros.

Pong Krell was a Jedi Master who became a general during the galactic civil war. As a general, he held the record for the most clone trooper casualties. He was known for abusing his clone troopers and viewed them as a disposal means to obtain victory. During the final days of the clone wars, Krell turned to the dark side and hoped to abandon the Republic to join the New Order with Count Dooku.

Krell's last stand was a cathartic moment for Clone Wars watchers. Krell temporarily took over General Anakin Skywalker's 501st. The 501st learned about Krell's turn to being a fallen Jedi and instituted a mutiny to subdue and kill him for treason. The fight was particularly epic, as Krell wields two double-bladed lightsabers. His final scene is visually stunning and one of the emotional highlights of The Clone Wars series. The show often deals with themes of exploitation, as portrayed by the clone troopers. Pong Krell's story offers a counter-point that all Jedi are not necessarily good guys just because they wield the light side of the force. Even before Krell's fall to being a dark Jedi, his track record of clone trooper casualties speaks for itself.

9 Anakin Saving Obi-Wan at the Siege of Mandalore

KenobiOnYerbana
Warner Bros.

The Siege of Mandalore is the common fan term for the final four episodes of The Clone Wars. During the siege, Obi-Wan Kenobi and his attack battalion of clone troopers are on the back foot against the droids while holding a bridge that leads into the city. When it seems like Obi-Wan is about to lose, Anakin comes in out of nowhere in a nonchalant and unconcerned way. Anakin takes over the situation and offers the enemy a fake surrender. Once the enemy commander shows himself, Anakin effortlessly dispatches him. His 501st troops then reveal themselves, hiding under the bridge and surrounding the remaining forces.

It is an excellent moment in the show because it showcases Anakin's newfound confidence and allows him to show up Obi-Wan. Especially considering what happens afterward, this scene is a classic display of comradery between the two before the tragedies that occur in the show's final moments.

8 The Death Of Obi-Wan

obiwan funeral
Warner Bros.

After several events, Obi-Wan fakes his own assassination to go undercover as a bounty hunter. Only by obscuring his identity could he discover the secret plot to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine. While the audience is acutely aware that Obi-Wan is not really dead during this scene, it is still a fantastic emotional moment in the show because the audience sees the characters' reactions of characters that don't know the funeral is fake. Anakin is not told by the Jedi council about the plan, making his reaction particularly poignant. Even some of the Jedi masters, like Plo Koon and Mace Windu, give excellent performances despite knowing the truth. Master Yoda remarks that Obi-Wan's corpse gave a better performance than even Obi-Wan himself.

7 Ahsoka Leaving the Jedi

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Warner Bros.

While there are many heart-breaking moments in The Clone Wars, perhaps none are sadder when Ahsoka gets kicked out of the Jedi Order. Ahsoka herself didn't do anything wrong. She was framed for an incident where the Jedi Temple was bombed. Thanks to the efforts of Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi were able to discover the true culprit and clear Ahsoka's name. After the misunderstanding is cleared up, the Jedi Council asks her to rejoin the Jedi Order. However, Ahsoka refuses their offer in an emotional scene between herself and Anakin. The entire experience made Ahsoka lose faith in the Jedi order, believing that she needed to take her own path to restore order to the galaxy. While she would briefly return to help the Jedi forces in the Siege of Mandalore, she was forced into hiding and rarely seen again.

6 Darth Sidious Fights Darth Maul and Savage Opress

sidious fight
Warner Bros.

This lightsaber fight had no business being as cool as it was. The Clone Wars took advantage of this opportunity to give us a fight between Sith warriors that the proper series rarely dove into. After Sidious discovered that Darth Maul was complicating his plans with his rule on planet Mandalore, he knew he had to go there personally to deal with it. What follows is a suburb two versus one duel that reemphasizes how dangerous of an enemy Sidious is. The fight was also an excellent excuse for the show to explore the complicated relationships that sith warriors have. They have a dysfunctional master and teacher relationship, which manifests in exciting ways considering that the Sith choose to embrace emotion instead of the Jedi.

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5 Yoda's Fight With Sidious and Dooku

yoda council
Warner Bros.

In Star Wars Episode II, Yoda surprised Star Wars fans for the first time with his impressive acrobat and lightsaber sword skills. In an interview with Star Wars Theory, it was revealed that Yoda wasn't even originally going to have a fight scene. The fight was meant to be a bigger fight with just Count Dooku. Count Dooku easily dealt with the combined power of both Obi-Wan and Anakin without breaking a sweat, who were the strongest Jedi the audience had seen at that point. Although Yoda came in with a walking stick, he proved more than a match for Count Dooku, forcing him to retreat from the battlefield.

In The Clone Wars, we are treated to a similar fight that fans love. Master Yoda and Anakin team up to fight Count Dooku and Darth Sidious in an epic showdown. This two versus-two lightsaber fight is quick and deadly, eventually turning into a one-versus-one focusing on Yoda. In that fight, Yoda realizes that he must be ready to sacrifice himself for the greater good if he wants to stop his enemies. The match is only due to a force-induced vision from a Sith planet, but it gives fans a fight they would have loved to see in the mainline series.

4 Anakin's Rematch with Dooku

Anakin Dooku
Warner Bros.

Anakin and Dooku's eventual rematch had been built up for the entire series. After initially losing to Dooku quickly and getting his hand severed, Anakin had been anticipating this day. The emotions inside Anakin build up during his tool, making him lash out in rage against Dooku and deliver attacks too quickly for Dooku to contend with. Dooku has a very refined saber style in contrast to Anakin's wild animal instincts. With Dooku looking down at his opponents, it was the perfect opportunity for Dooku to let his overconfidence be his doom. Dooku was also confident because Sidious was right next to him until Dooku realized he would be sacrificed to further Sidious' plans.

3 Ahsoka Tano's Final Fight with Darth Maul

ahsoka tano
Warner Bros.

Ahsoka's fight with Darth Maul is often seen as the best lightsaber duel in the entire series. After Ahsoka and Maul fought against one another in Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars fans have been clamoring to see a rematch. The choreography of the duel is sublime and does an excellent job of creating tension despite many fans knowing what the outcome of the duel had to be. The duel is daring and exciting, with many great action set pieces. The series director, Dave Filoni, said in an interview with Nerdist that special attention was put into making Ahsoka's story feel complete at the end.

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2 Clone Trooper 99's Death

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Warner Bros.

Clone Trooper 99 was an insufficient clone trooper who struggled to keep up with his colleagues. He was born with limited physical abilities that caused other clone troopers to underestimate him. He also suffered from rapid aging, which meant that his story would have a tragic end. General Grievous attacked the facility on Kamino where Clone Trooper 99 was stationed, and every clone was forced to defend their home. During this climactic battle, Clone Trooper 99 gathers his courage to sacrifice himself to save some of his other squad members. He can finally prove that he is a worthy soldier in a tragic scene where he gets killed. While he was employed as a janitor on Kamino when he started service, he left service as a true soldier.

1 Order 66 Is Carried Out

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Warner Bros.

Order 66 was the elephant in the room since the beginning of The Clone Wars. Viewers knew that all of these character moments were building up towards them being emotionally devastated after the clone troopers betrayed the Jedi. What we see in the show is even more tragic than what we could have imagined. The audience has come to empathize with and know the names of the clone troopers. These clone troopers are compelled to betray their Jedi commanders through mind control. Some clone troopers are freed from mind control, but they are still targeted by former friends under mind control. While this moment is tragic, it is the best moment in the series because it makes good on the promise the show made at its conception and really pays off all the character development that the characters have.